For title and escrow companies, where every transaction involves nuanced legal intricacies and detailed research, the need for a well-educated workforce is crucial. Continuing to educate your employees offers many benefits to your company. An IBM study found that businesses that utilize continuing education saw a:

Use the links below to jump to a specific section of this blog:

• Accredited Continuing Education Courses
• Where to Find CE Courses
• How SoftPro Can Help
  • Free Webinars
  • Web-Based Training
  • Onsite Training
  • Consulting
  • Contact Us

However, improved business metrics are just one driving force behind prioritizing continuing education. Employees themselves are pushing companies to provide more training opportunities so they feel more engaged in their current roles and better prepared for the future. According to the Harvard Business Review, the name for this quest for knowledge is upskilling: “a longer-term investment in augmenting the knowledge, skills, and competencies that help employees advance their careers.” According to the same IBM study, new employees are 42% more likely to stay when they receive continued, consistent training they need to do their job properly.

The evidence shows that continuing education is great for both business owners and employees. So where should your team members go for these all-important resources?

Accredited Continuing Education Courses

Continuing education (CE) courses are probably the first resource you think of for upskilling your employees, and for good reason. CE courses are critical and often legally required for every title professional. These classes focus on industry-specific subjects and best practices that are helpful for both those new to the industry and title veterans. For new title professionals, there are courses covering the principles of land title and the basic terminology they’ll need to know to get started. For those who have been in the industry for years, there are courses to stay up to date on the latest best practices, especially those involving new technological processes like remote online notarization (RON).

The three most common places to find industry-related continuing education courses are:

• The American Land Title Association (ALTA): ALTA is the best place to look for classes covering subjects applicable to any title professional in the country. Their online classes focusing on the foundations of the title industry and the ethics required to keep yourself, your clients and your company safe are excellent resources for people new to the industry. For continuing education on more in-depth subjects, ALTA offers in-person classes throughout the year at locations nationwide.
• State Title Associations: State law may require you to take continuing education classes provided by your state title association since practices can vary widely, even between local jurisdictions. To find out the CE requirements for your state, visit the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
• State Bar Associations: States often require continuing legal education (CLE) for attorneys within the title and real property industry, which you can get from your state’s bar association. This is especially common in states that require title agents to be attorneys.

While the broad industry knowledge you receive from accredited CE classes is vital, you’ll also need to know the day-to-day tools and tactics that you can use to put that knowledge to work. That’s where SoftPro comes in.

How SoftPro Can Help

Separate from the CE courses just discussed, SoftPro has training options specific to our different editions of SoftPro software so your employees can become better trained in the software they use every day. We offer four types of training services to adapt to any learning style that your employees need. With these services, SoftPro allows you to keep your employees engaged and satisfied, knowing they’re improving their skills and potential for the future. Follow along for more details on each of our training options.

1. Free Webinars

SoftPro’s free webinars are the best way to get the information you need as fast as possible. Webinars last no longer than one hour, so you can learn something new with minimal interruption to your day. Updated with new subjects every month, the classes are led by our team of expert trainers and cover specific features and processes to learn within the SoftPro system. Each subject has three different date and time opportunities, so you can choose the best option for your schedule.

For example, do you struggle with balancing those pesky construction loans? In one of our June webinars, title pros can walk with us through the basic process of setting up a construction loan and keeping their orders balanced at all times. If you miss this month’s lessons, there’s no need to fear. We post a new slate of webinars each month. Visit our list of webinars to see the upcoming, exciting subjects to learn for free.

2. Web-Based Training

Our web-based training is the perfect combination of efficiency and effectiveness. If you and your team don’t have a full day to devote to training or only need training on a specific aspect of your SoftPro software, this is your solution.

The first thing to understand about our web-based training is that it’s not pre-recorded instructions on using our software. These trainings are live, private, customizable sessions fully focused on your company’s needs. You interact in real-time with one of our expert trainers over the phone throughout your training. Via your computer, you participate in an interactive session that allows you to follow the lessons from the comfort of your own home or office. You can also participate in a training session with multiple colleagues to educate an entire team for one small price.

The sessions are a la carte based on the subject you want to learn about and the type of SoftPro product you use. Sessions last one to two hours and cover any step of the title production process you need assistance with or would like to improve. Each session has a description covering the key points you need to know before you dive in, such as:

• The Duration: Know exactly how long you have to commit to a training.
• Prerequisites: Some subjects require you to take another training session before moving on to the next level.
• The Intended Audience: Many trainings aren’t necessary for everyone on the team. We let you know who will benefit the most from each session. No matter your department, there is a training session for you.
• The Description: We give you a detailed preview of everything you will learn.

3. Onsite Training

Onsite sessions are the most robust and effective training methods we offer. While web-based solutions are great for relatively quick training sessions, studies show that in-person training is the most effective strategy for learning. Instead of one to two-hour sessions, one of our onsite trainers can be in your office for one to five business days. We’ll even come in on Saturdays if you don’t want to interrupt your regular work week with a training session.

The increased, dedicated time allows our trainers to focus on every aspect of your business. When we’re working side-by-side, we can observe your typical methods and suggest more effective ways to take advantage of everything your SoftPro system offers. Our trainers have gained considerable knowledge from working with dozens of similar organizations nationwide. They use this experience to identify areas where you can use hidden shortcuts, automation or new techniques to work more efficiently. If you know exactly what your team needs to learn, we can fully customize your training program to make it as effective as possible.

We offer onsite training in six primary Training Tracks. These are the subjects that our clients request most often for onsite training sessions:

• Order Entry: Learn how to enter each piece of information just one time and have it automatically appear anywhere you need it.
• Title: We can guide you through the most advanced and efficient ways to complete the title production process.
• Closing Escrow: Make sure your clients’ sensitive personal and financial information is delivered securely.
• Accounting: Learn how to create custom accounting documents for easy reporting.
• SoftPro Administration: In every subject above, we can show you every trick in the book to allow your employees to do more with less.
• General Onsite Support: If you need general help getting started or if there is a consistent issue that you need in-depth support on, we can be there to help.

4. Consulting

Our consulting services are the most personalized form of training we provide to make sure your office is utilizing SoftPro to its full potential. Like our other forms of training, our consultants can reach you online to work on specific subjects or in person to work on broader goals. What sets consulting apart is the extensive process and the documented results. Here’s how we break it down:

The Process:

• Observe your workflow and utilization of SoftPro applications
• Analyze your internal business processes
• Review findings
• Discuss areas for efficiency gains/improvements
• Formulate a game plan for process improvements and application changes
• Implement changes and provide training to appropriate personnel specific to these changes

The Results:

• Documented report on observations
• Projected goals
• Itemized account for changes already implemented
• Projected plan(s) for any deferred items to be implemented

The Bottom Line

Upskilling through continuing education is crucial to the success of every modern title insurance company. It improves your business metrics and fosters the satisfaction and retention of your most important resource: your team members. Accredited continuing education courses serve as valuable avenues for upskilling employees. However, the skills and overall workflow improvement that SoftPro training provides can take your business to the next level.

If you’re ready to ensure the overall success of your business and employees, head over to SoftPro’s website to see which training solutions are best for you. If you’re ready for a new software partner or want to bring your SoftPro system up a notch, contact us or give us a call at 800-848-0143 today!